Tuna tower

ABSTRACT

An adjustable, prefabricated tuna tower for installation on boats used for sport fishing. The tuna tower of the present invention is provided in the form of a plurality of subassemblies, braces and struts which are sold in a carton package and which may be assembled and installed on any one of a plurality of types of boats having variable beam measurements.

United States Patent 1 91 Green 1 51 Apr. 3, 1973 [54] TUNA TOWER2,335,046 11/1943 Droeger .L ..182 119 1 $009,534 1 1961 F 11 ..18 119[761 Imam Jeff"! 16810 31 163,265 811969 c3121 "1835119 22 Filed:

21- Appl. No.: 244,111

52 U.S.Cl..., ..l82/118,l82/l13,l82/172,

, 182/178 51 1111. Cl. ..E06c 5/02, E06c 7/18 [58] Field of Search..182/1l8, 119,178, 113, 10s,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 478,841 7/1392 Bodette..1s2/11s Court, North Miami Beach, Fla. 33162 A ril 3, 1972 PrimaryExaminer-Reinaldo P. Machado Attorney-John Cyril Malloy 57] ABSTRACTboats having variable beam measurements. 1

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEI] APR 3 I975 SHEET 2 0F 2 STATE OFTHE PRIOR ART Tuna towers are structures, usually made from aluminumtubing or pipe, which provide a platform, substantially elevated abovethe basic structure of fishing boats, to give sport fishermen theadvantage of a high viewing position to enable them to see and identifyfish under the surface of the water.

As the name Tuna Tower implies, this type of elevated structure, on afishing boat, is widely used for spotting tuna fish, however, they areequally widely used to spot many other species of salt water fish suchas sailfish, marlin, dolphin fish, etc.

Heretofore, most sport fishermen, desirous of providing their boats withtuna towers, had to resort to the relatively expensive method of havingthe towers custom built to their boats. The cost factor is therefore agreat deterent to the average fisherman who owns a relatively small,inexpensive boat.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION within that size range.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide atuna tower which may be prefabricated in quantity and packaged incartons as a plurality of sub-assemblies, spars and braces and which maybe easily assembled and mounted on any of a plurality of boats havingdifferent beam measurements.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a tuna tower whichprovides a substantial savings in money over a comparable tuna tower,custom fitted to a particular size boat.

Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a tuna towercomprised of a pair of ladder portions, extending up to an elevatedplatform from opposed sides of the boat; a top portion, connectingbetween said ladder portions and forming protective tuna tower relativeto the variable beam measurements of the boats to which it is to befitted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS cockpit of a boat;

rails about said platform and a plurality of struts and braces mountedto prevent transverse and longitudinal flexing of the tower.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a control panelon the forward portion of said protective rails, on which a secondcomplete set of controls can be mounted for operation of the boat by aperson on the tuna tower platform.

Another object of the present invention is to provide adjustableconnection means, between the platform and the opposed ladder portions,which varies the transverse measurement between the foot portions of theladders to adapt the tuna tower to a variety of boats having differentbeam measurements.

A further object of the instant invention is to fabricate the ladderportions of a material such as aluminum tubing which has a degree ofinherent flexibility to cooperate with said adjustable connection meansto provide the maximum degree of adjustability of the FIG. 2 is anenlarged, detailed, front elevational view of the top portion of thetuna tower, parts being broken away to better illustrate some; detailsof the invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken through the platform portion ofthe tuna tower, illustrating. the adjustable connection thereof to theopposed ladder portions; and

FIG. 4 is a detailed view, typical of the connection to the boat, of thefoot portions of the ladders and struts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS With reference to the drawings, inwhich like reference numerals designate like or similar parts throughoutthe various views, and with particular reference to FIG. 1, the numeral10 indicates the tuna tower of the present invention, generallycomprised of a pair of opposed ladder sub-assemblies 12 and 14, eachhaving a pair of foot portions 16 and I8 fixed to the opposed gunwalls Gand G of a boat B, a platform sub-assembly 20, adjustably fixed betweenthe ladders l2 and 14, downwardly of the upper ends thereof, an upperrail sub-assembly 22, fixed to and bridging the upper ends of theladders 1 2 and 14, upper and lower transverse bracing means 24 and 26and longitudinal strut means 28.

Each ladder sub-assembly 12 and 14 is comprised of a pair of spacedapart, parallel side rails 30 and 32, connected as by welding to aplurality of parallel rungs 34. Each of the pairs of foot portions 16and 18 is screw threadly engaged by a yoke fitting 36, FIG. 4, which isprivotally connected at 38 to an upstanding lug 40 of a base plate 42,fixed by appropriate attachment means 44 to the gunwalls G and G.

The upper rail sub-assembly 22 is comprised of front 48 is provided withan outwardly and downwardly extending stud 56 pinned as at 58 withineach respective end 54. Each stud 56 is adapted to be slidably engagedwithin an upper end 50 and 52 of the respective pairs of ladder rails 30and 32 to form a bridge between the Iadders 12 and 14. j

The platform sub-assembly 20 is. adjustably fixed in spanning relationbetween the respective pairs of ladder rails 30 and 32 just upwardly ofthe top rungs 34 of said ladders and downwardly of the upper rail ends50 and 52. The ladders l2 and 14 are provided with front and back pairsof aligned inwardly projecting gussets 60 and 61 welded to both pairs ofladder rails 30 and 32 and each gusset 60 and 61 includes a plurality ofhorizontally aligned through holes 62, four as illustrated in FIG. 3. i

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the platform 20 is comprised of frontand back transverse rails 64 and 66 interconnected, substantially acrosstheir widths, by a plurality of parallel slats 68, fixed to the rails 64and 66 as by screws 67 As best illustrated in FIG. 3, the opposed endsof each transverse rail 64 and 66 are provided with appropriate throughholes for selective bolted engagement 69 and with any two of therespective gusset holes 62. Therefore, the span, between the ladder footportions 16 and 18, is adjustable, as determined by the selective boltedconnections 69 and 70 with the pluralities of gusset holes 62 and theinherent flexibility of the tubular ladder rails 30 and 32. For example,the span between the foot portions 16 and 18 of the ladders 12 and 14 isvariable to a degree which permits installation of a tuna tower of thepresent invention on boats having beam variations upwardly of two feet.This degree of adjustability permits one basic tuna tower to beinstalled, for example, on most open type fishing boats up to 23 to 25feet in length.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the opposed sides of the upper railsub-assembly 22 comprised of the rails 46 and 48 are interconnected byparallel side rails 72 and 74 which are bolted as at 76 betweenrespective pairs of ears 78 fixed to and extending inwardly in opposedrelation, from the rails 46 and 48.

A horizontal, forwardly extending control panel 80 may be fixed byfastening means such as screws (not shown) to a forwardly extendingU-shaped rail 82, fixed as by welding to the transverse span 84 of thefront rail 46, FIGS. 1 and 2. As indicated generally at 86, in brokenlines in FIG. 1, a set of controls may be mounted on the panel 80 topermit the lookout on the platform to control the boat. A brace member88 is connected between the U-shaped rail 82 and the transverse frontrail 64 and a pair of brace members 90 and 92 are bolted at 94 to a lug96, centrally fixed to the transverse portion 98 of the back rail 48,and diverge downwardly to points of attachment by the bolts 69 to therear gussets 60 and 61.

The lower brace means 26 is comprised of a pair of cross braces 100 and102, fixed at their respective outer ends to the rear gussets 60 and 61by the bolts 70. Each cross brace 100 and 102 extends diagonally acrossthe tuna tower to points of pivotal attachment 104 and 106 to respectiveoutwardly and downwardly extending brace members 108 and 110 which areanchored at their lower ends to the respective pivot connections 38 atthe foot of the ladder rails 32. A turnbuckle 112 is interconnectedbetween each point of attachment 104 and 106 and the respective adjacentgussets 60 and 61 to tension each pair of compound braces 100, 108 and102, 110.

The compound brace means as described cooperates with the upper bracemembers 90 and 92 to provide lateral stability to the tuna tower andpermits free upright movement, under the tower, of the occupants of theboat.

The strut means 28 is comprised of a pair of struts 118 and 120pivotally attached at their upper ends to lugs 122 and 124, fixed to therespective ladder rails 30-30 by yokes 126 and 128 and extendingforwardly and downwardly to attachment means 130 and 132 to therespective gunwalls G and G in the same manner illustrated in FIG. 4relative to the foot portions of the ladders 12 and 14. The strutsprovide longitudinal stability to the tuna tower.

From the foregoing description, it is seen that the tuna tower of thepresent invention is comprised of four sub-assemblies, the two laddersections, the platform and upper rail assembly in addition to thevarious braces and spars, all of which can be prefabricated and packagedin a carton for assembly and installation on a variety of types andsizes of boats. The various sub-assemblies, spars and braces are alleither slip-fitted or bolted together and the yokes, screw threaded tothe base ends of the ladders and spars 118 and 120, are pivotallyconnected to the base plates 42 to provide a universal adjustment toaccommodate any angle of attachment to the deck or gunwalls of a boat byconventional attachment means such as nuts and bolts.

What is claimed is:

1. A tuna tower for installation on a boat comprising,

A. first and second sub-assemblies, each of which is comprised of,

1. front and back, upwardly extending, spaced apart side rails, eachhaving upper and lower ends, and

2. a plurality of horizontal, spaced apart rungs fixed to and spanningthe distance between said side rails to form a ladder;

B. a third sub-assembly comprised of,

1. front and back top rail members in spanning relation respectively tosaid front and back upper ends;

2. a pair of opposed side rails removably connecting between the opposedend portions of said top rail members;

C. disengageable connection means between the opposed ends of said frontand back top rail members and the respective front and back upper endsof said ladders to form a generally inverted U-shaped structure;

D. a fourth sub-assembly comprised of,

1. front and back mounting rails,

2. a platform fixed to and extending between said mounting rails;

E. disengageable, adjustable mounting means connecting between each ofthe opposed end portions of said mounting rails and said ladders tomaintain said fourth sub-assembly in a horizontal, spanning attitudebetween said ladders, intermediate said upper and lower ends;

F. pivotal mounting means for connecting said lower ends to the boat;

G. generally diagonal brace means connecting between said ladders toprovide lateral stability; and

H. strut means removably connecting between said ladders and the boat toprovide longitudinal stability.

2. A tuna tower as defined in claim 1 wherein the opposed end portionsof said front and back top rail members are turned generally downwardly.

3. A tuna tower as defined in claim 2 wherein said side rails and toprail members are tubular in form and said disengageable connectionmeans, between each of said top rail ends and its respective ladderupper end, is comprised of an elongated stud, interengaging both tubularend portions and a pin means connecting one of said end portions to saidstud.

4. A tuna tower as defined in claim 1 in which said platform iscomprised of a plurality of spaced apart, parallel slats.

5. A tuna tower as defined in claim 1 in which said disengageable,adjustable mounting means is comprised of a gusset fixed to andextending inwardly from each of said front and back side rails of bothladders, each gusset providing a plurality of horizontally aligned,spaced apart holes, hole means in each of the opposed end portions ofsaid mounting rails and removable attachment means, such as nuts andbolts, to attach each of said mounting rail end portions to itsrespective gusset.

6. A tuna tower as defined in claim 5 wherein four holes are provided ineach gusset and said hole means comprises two holes which are alignablewith any two side-by-side holes of said four.

7. A tuna tower as defined in claim 5 in which said generally diagonalbrace means is comprised of a first brace means, above said fourthsub-assembly and a second brace means, below said fourth sub-assembly.

8. A tuna tower as defined in claim 7 wherein said first brace meanscomprises two elongated rods, removably attached at their upper ends toa downwardly projecting lug, fixed centrally to said back top railmember, and diverging diagonally downwardly to points of removableattachment to the respective back gussets.

9. A tima tower as defined in claim 7 wherein said second brace meanscomprises two compound brace assemblies, each consisting of a firstelongated, diagonally downwardly extending rod, removably at tached atits upper end to a first of said back gussets and at its lower end tothe upper end of a second elongated, diagonally downwardly extendingrod, said second rod being removably attached at its lower end to saidpivotal mounting means, and a tensioning means, such as a turnbuckle,connecting between a second of said back gussets and said lower andupper end connection.

10. A tuna tower as defined in claim 1 including a U- shaped rail fixedto said front top rail 'and projecting horizontally, forwardly therefromand a control panel fixed to said U-shaped rail.

1. A tuna tower for installation on a boat comprising, A. first andsecond sub-assemblies, each of which is comprised of,
 1. front and back,upwardly extending, spaced apart side rails, each having upper and lowerends, and
 2. a plurality of horizontal, spaced apart rungs fixed to andspanning the distance between said side rails to form a ladder; B. athird sub-assembly comprised of,
 1. front and back top rail members inspanning relation respectively to said front and back upper ends;
 2. apair of opposed side rails removably connecting between the opposeD endportions of said top rail members; C. disengageable connection meansbetween the opposed ends of said front and back top rail members and therespective front and back upper ends of said ladders to form a generallyinverted U-shaped structure; D. a fourth sub-assembly comprised of, 1.front and back mounting rails,
 2. a platform fixed to and extendingbetween said mounting rails; E. disengageable, adjustable mounting meansconnecting between each of the opposed end portions of said mountingrails and said ladders to maintain said fourth sub-assembly in ahorizontal, spanning attitude between said ladders, intermediate saidupper and lower ends; F. pivotal mounting means for connecting saidlower ends to the boat; G. generally diagonal brace means connectingbetween said ladders to provide lateral stability; and H. strut meansremovably connecting between said ladders and the boat to providelongitudinal stability.
 2. a plurality of horizontal, spaced apart rungsfixed to and spanning the distance between said side rails to form aladder; B. a third sub-assembly comprised of,
 2. a pair of opposed siderails removably connecting between the opposeD end portions of said toprail members; C. disengageable connection means between the opposed endsof said front and back top rail members and the respective front andback upper ends of said ladders to form a generally inverted U-shapedstructure; D. a fourth sub-assembly comprised of,
 2. a platform fixed toand extending between said mounting rails; E. disengageable, adjustablemounting means connecting between each of the opposed end portions ofsaid mounting rails and said ladders to maintain said fourthsub-assembly in a horizontal, spanning attitude between said ladders,intermediate said upper and lower ends; F. pivotal mounting means forconnecting said lower ends to the boat; G. generally diagonal bracemeans connecting between said ladders to provide lateral stability; andH. strut means removably connecting between said ladders and the boat toprovide longitudinal stability.
 2. A tuna tower as defined in claim 1wherein the opposed end portions of said front and back top rail membersare turned generally downwardly.
 3. A tuna tower as defined in claim 2wherein said side rails and top rail members are tubular in form andsaid disengageable connection means, between each of said top rail endsand its respective ladder upper end, is comprised of an elongated stud,interengaging both tubular end portions and a pin means connecting oneof said end portions to said stud.
 4. A tuna tower as defined in claim 1in which said platform is comprised of a plurality of spaced apart,parallel slats.
 5. A tuna tower as defined in claim 1 in which saiddisengageable, adjustable mounting means is comprised of a gusset fixedto and extending inwardly from each of said front and back side rails ofboth ladders, each gusset providing a plurality of horizontally aligned,spaced apart holes, hole means in each of the opposed end portions ofsaid mounting rails and removable attachment means, such as nuts andbolts, to attach each of said mounting rail end portions to itsrespective gusset.
 6. A tuna tower as defined in claim 5 wherein fourholes are provided in each gusset and said hole means comprises twoholes which are alignable with any two side-by-side holes of said four.7. A tuna tower as defined in claim 5 in which said generally diagonalbrace means is comprised of a first brace means, above said fourthsub-assembly and a second brace means, below said fourth sub-assembly.8. A tuna tower as defined in claim 7 wherein said first brace meanscomprises two elongated rods, removably attached at their upper ends toa downwardly projecting lug, fixed centrally to said back top railmember, and diverging diagonally downwardly to points of removableattachment to the respective back gussets.
 9. A tuna tower as defined inclaim 7 wherein said second brace means comprises two compound braceassemblies, each consisting of a first elongated, diagonally downwardlyextending rod, removably attached at its upper end to a first of saidback gussets and at its lower end to the upper end of a secondelongated, diagonally downwardly extending rod, said second rod beingremovably attached at its lower end to said pivotal mounting means, anda tensioning means, such as a turnbuckle, connecting between a second ofsaid back gussets and said lower and upper end connection.
 10. A tunatower as defined in claim 1 including a U-shaped rail fixed to saidfront top rail and projecting horizontally, forwardly therefrom and acontrol panel fixed to said U-shaped rail.